“An authentic expression of oneself is right at the center of what mastery looks like and feels like. That is available to all of us, but it requires an inward journey. There's a real journey that's required to get to the core insights of what makes you ‘you.' Fulfillment, peace, happiness, and high performance all happen in the present moment. So, conditioning our minds to be in the present moment eventually becomes a skill which turns into the state of being aware of your surroundings. Before you know it, that state of awareness becomes a trait. That's the true practice of mindfulness.” – Dr. Michael Gervais

Is there a common thread connecting how the greatest performers in the world use their minds to pursue the boundaries of human potential?

In Wellness Force Radio episode 201, licensed psychologist, Co-founder of Compete to Create, and Podcast Host of Finding Mastery, Dr. Michael Gervais, explains what ‘cognitive shifting' is, how you can facilitate the right amount of stress in order to adapt and improve, and how you can get started on your own spiritual path to create more space for yourself.

By the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with the tools to train the internal noise, self-dialogue, and meaning-making machine that is your mind.

Finding Mastery Podcast

Host and high-performance psychologist, Dr. Michael Gervais, interviews people excelling in the most hostile environments to discover the mental skills used to push the boundaries.

Each episode features inspiring stories from the world’s best athletes, brilliant business minds, and the musicians and artists changing our perspective of what’s possible. Thoughtful, spontaneous, and engaging, Dr. Michael Gervais provides insights to help listeners live connected to their potential and pursue their very best.

Dr. Gervais’ unique perspective and expertise are relevant to many different industries and audiences.

“The new currency is attention. Today we are aware that multitasking doesn't exist and it's actually called ‘cognitive shifting.' When we shift cognitively from one thought or activity to another, there's cost to it. There's a cost of time and a cost of depth. So, multitasking is a symptom of wanting to do a lot in life. Being busy used to be a badge of honor but it's no longer like that. When we say we're busy, it doesn't mean that we're in high demand and we're doing good work; it means that we're not organizing our life purpose well enough and we haven't figured out how to have dignity and regard for the way we spend our time as far as quality and quantity.” – Dr. Michael Gervais

“The old wealth was having a big car, nice watch, and getting a lot of attention, but the new wealth today is not that. The new wealth is the output of the quality of the inner experience. Today, people are deeply committed to exploring the nuances of their talents.” – Dr. Michael Gervais

“The idea is not to escape stress but to understand how we create it and how we work with it. No one is going to get good at anything without a little stress. Stress is really about change and eventual adaptation. So, what we're really looking for is the ability to trust ourselves in the present moment so that we can be present enough to embrace the unpredictable, unfolding unknown which is always right now. That's not easy to do; especially when we have this internal noise, self-dialogue, and meaning-making machine of our mind that's often times undisciplined because it's untrained.” – Dr. Michael Gervais

“If the new currency is attention, there is no ‘extra.' Attention is what allows us to come back to the present moment and we need the mental skills to be able to do that. Therefore, there is no time for anything ‘extra' because there's always an option to do more and I think many of us have come to be based this way based on the Industrial Revolution and we have this intense pride of work. This idea that we always have to be working hard around the clock has migrated across several generations. We've come to believe that we need to do more in order to be more. We can do all we want, but it will never provide what it feels like to be ‘you.' ” – Dr. Michael Gervais

About Dr. Michael Gervais

Co-founder of Compete to Create, a licensed psychologist and industry visionary, Dr.Michael Gervais focuses most of his time on people at the “top of their game,” from the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and NBA players to Olympians, military personnel, and corporate leaders. Spending years in the trenches of high-stakes circumstances, Gervais has developed clarity for the tools that allow people to “thrive under pressure.” Gervais is a published, peer-reviewed author and a nationally recognized speaker on issues related to high performance for those who excel on the largest stages in the world.

He is also the host of Finding Mastery, a podcast that takes you inside the rugged and high-stakes environments of those on the path of mastery to explore how they train minds to be at their very best. Gervais unpacks and decodes each guest’s journey, psychological framework and mindset skills and practices.